M. Starbird and F. Su, Topology Through Inquiry, MAA Press, 2019
All the books are available in electronic form in multiple places.
= available in
the university library
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS
Class 1 September 24, 2024
Organizational details. The subject of topology. Definition of a topological
space. Examples of topological spaces: trivial and discrete topology,
topologies on 0-, 1- and 2-element sets, the standard topology on \(\mathbb R\).
Number of topologies on a finite set.
Finer and coarser topologies. Closed sets. The closed interval in \(\mathbb R\)
is closed in the standard topology.
Clopen sets.
A parody of an episode from the movie
"The Bunker"
featuring clopen sets.
([V], pp. xi-xii, 11-14; Munkres, p.76).
Class 2 October 1, 2024
More examples: topologies on finite sets, the arrow.
Cantor set as an example
of a closed set. Base of a topology, examples. Any base of the standard topology
on \(\mathbb R\) can be decreased.
([V], pp.11-12,16).
Class 3 October 8, 2024
Discussion of homeworks 1,2. Criteria for a set to be a base
([V],p.16,3.A,3.B,3.C). Criterion for a topology to be coarser
(Munkres, Lemma 13.3).The standard topology on \(\mathbb R^2\).
([V], pp.16-17).
Class 4 October 15, 2024
Discussion of homeworks 3,4. Metric spaces, 0-1 metric, Euclidean metric,
Manhattan metric, metrics on finite sets. Restriction of a metric to a subspace.
Balls and spheres. Metric topology.
([V], pp.18-20,22).
Class 5 October 22, 2024
Discussion of homeworks 5,6. Metrizability of topological spaces, examples of
metrizable and non-metrizable spaces. Operations on metrics. Separation
property. Metric topology always satisfies the separation property. Topological
equivalence and metric equivalence of metrics. If \(\rho\) is a metric, then
\(\frac{\rho}{1+\rho}\) is a metric.
([V], pp.22-23; Munkres, pp.119-122).
Class 6 October 29, 2024
Metric equivalence implies topological equivalence. If \(\rho\) is a metric,
then \(\frac{\rho}{1+\rho}\) is a topologically equivalent, but not necessary
metrically equivalent, metric. Subspace topology, examples. Interior.
([V], pp.23,27-29; Munkres, pp.88-90).
video (partially)
Class 7 November 5, 2024
Discussion of homeworks 7-10. Closure, boundary. Definition of continuous and
open (i.e., an image of an open set is open) maps. \(x \mapsto x^2\) is
continuous but not open. Equivalent conditions for continuity.
([V], pp.30-31,59; Munkres, pp.102-103).
video
Class 8 November 12, 2024
Discussion of homeworks 11-13. The continuity of a map \(f: X \to Y\) is
equivalent to each of the following conditions:
\[
f^{-1}(Cl(B)) \supseteq Cl(f^{-1}(B)) \text{ for any } B \subseteq Y \\
f^{-1}(Int(B)) \subseteq Int(f^{-1}(B)) \text{ for any } B \subseteq Y \\
f(Cl(A)) \subseteq Cl(f(A)) \text{ for any } A \subseteq X \\
f(Int(A)) \supseteq Int(f(A)) \text{ for any } A \subseteq X .
\]
Further examples and non-examples of continuous maps. Continuity at a point.
Equivalence with the \(\epsilon-\delta\) definiton of continuity from analysis
in the case of metric topologies. Homeomorphisms (definition, elementary
properties).
([V], pp.60-61,67; Munkres, pp.102-105).
video
Class 9 November 19, 2024
Discussion of homeworks 14-16. Homeomorphisms of a topological space to itself
form a group. Examples of homeomorphisms: subspace topologies on various sets in
\(\mathbb R\) and \(\mathbb R^2\). Planes with punctures are homeomorphic (in
the subspace topology of the standard topology) iff the cardinalities of the
sets of punctured points are the same (done partially).
([V], pp.69-70,72; Munkres, pp.105-106).
video